Pneumatic tire



` W. H. RICHARDS.

PNEUMATIC TIRE.

APPLICATION Flu-:Dv NIM/17,1919.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

UNITED- STATES PATENT carica.

WILLIAM E. RICHARDS, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

rNEUMA'rIc man.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, WiLLIAM I-I. BICI-I- Anns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have inventedicertain new and useful Improvements in Pneu specification.

.My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tires.- l j I am aware of the fact that 'it has heretofore been proposed to provide a pneumatic ,tire with a pluralit of cells or sections, to inflate the same.': n the use of such devices the cells are either inflated before being introduced into the tire casin or separate means provided for iniating t e individual cells. If the separate inflating means is not employed, the tire is complicated by the provision of complicated means for inflat'ing the several cells. aware no one has heretofore provided means whereby a plurality of cells placed within the tire casing may be inflated lby the usual means employed 1n inflating the ordinary pneumatic tire, such as a singlevalve con-- nected to the tire to supply air to the interior thereof. l i c .l

In accordance with my invention, a tire casing of any well known or preferred type, is suitably led with cells. The tire casinmay be rendered air tight by the placing voff. a strip in contact with the beads thereof,

necessary, or the usual inner tube Ima arran ed therein, and the cellsheld -wlthin this inner tube. The cells are provided w'ith inwardly opening` check valves, where- "by when the air under suitable pressure is pumped into the tire casing through the usual valve, such air opens the check valves `und passes toi the interior of i the cells. When the pressure within the /tire casing, exteriorl of the cells, drops below that with-in t e cells the valves automatically clo'se, thereby prventing the escape of pressure from the cells. It is thus seen that should the tire casing or one or more of the -Sells'be punctured, the pressure within the remaining cells will maintain the tlre casing inflated.

An important object of the invention is to provide cells of the above mentioned character, which are sim le in construction, inexpensive to manu acture, strong and durable.

, i A further object of the invention is to Specication of Letters Patent.

parts throughout the saine,A

As far as I -am mobile lwhee I Ishown equipped with a clencher rim 11,5for

. casing provide yautomatic meansfto release the air pressure from the cells upon the expansion of the same beyond a certain limit.

Other objects and advantages of the inl vention will be apparent durmg the course 4 of the following description. matic Tires, of which the following is a y In the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like Figure 1 is a-fragment'ary side elevation vof a pneumatic tire embodying my invention, parts being shown in section,- K Fig. -2 is a transverse sectional view through the tire,

Fig.l 3 is,- a transverse sectional view through one of the cells before the same is inflated,

Fi 4 is a similar view with the cell inaie andexpa'nded `with its valve opened, an

Patented Mar. 9, 1920. f

Application mea mi 17, 1919. serial No. 297,796.

' Fig. 5 isa perspective view `of the secvtions from which the cell is formed.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of'illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10' designatesthe fell of a wheel, such as an auto or the like. This felly is engagement with the beads 12, .of a pneu'- strictedto the type of rim or tire casing if desired. i

l matic tire Acasing 13, of any well known or .preferred type. Itis to be dstinctlyunder- `stood that thefinvention is in no sense re- Meansare provided to renderV the' tire l 13 air t1ght, if.necessary, including a iexib e strip or-band 14, preferably formed of rubber, ,and engaging the inner sides of the beads 12, .theI ends of this strip overlap-- ping, as is obvious. This strip 14 serves theA pur ose of the ordinary inner tube, and is equipped .with lthe usual inliating valve 15, as shown. y

' The numeral 16 designates the cells which are suitably casing 13. hese cells may be` formed, of rubber or the like, and are resilient and expansible. The wall of the cell is preferably sufficiently thick so that the cell will not colla se when being handled or when placed within the tire casing, rior to being inflated. Each celll is prefera ly formed in semi'- spherical sections ,17, which ma be vulcanized together orotherwise suita ly packed or placed within the tire to form a spherical member, while the invention is in no senserestricted to this articular shape of cell. Each cell is provided with a suitable number of openings 18, a

plurality of these openings being preferably tensioned so that it will normally remain adjacent its opening 18, so that it is adapted to quickly close the opening, to prevent pressure passing from the cell.

' Means are rovided to automatically open the check va ves 19, when the cell ex ands beyond a predetermined limit, including a flexible element or cord 21 attached to the free end of the valve and to the cell at a point diametrically opposite the valve,

The invention is in no sense restricted to 'A the particular type of check valve herewith Y shown and described, as any other suitable form of check valve may be employed. I have found, however; that the present check l valve is extremely simple in construction and inexpensive;

Inuse, the tire casing 13 is suitably lled with the cells 16, and asuitablenu'mber of these'cells .may be crowded into the tire casing, as the cells are readily slightly compressibl'e and are not inflated. After the `tire casin is thus: suitably filled with the 40' cells 16, t ye strip 14 is placed in position in contact with the beads 12. The tire casing is next laceduponthe rim 11, in accordance wit the usual practice. i The inlating valve 15 is now connected with a pump or other suitable Source of compressed air, which is thereby introduced into the tire casing 13, exteriorl of the cells. Upon the introduction of' t is air pressure within the tire casing 13, the valves of the cells 16 open, and remain open until the pressure within the several cells equalizes with the pressure within the tire casing exteriorly of the cells, the valves perhaps remaining slightly open duringsthe iniating process. It is thus seen that the cells will not be crushed or collapsed during the inating process, as the pressure interiorly and exteriorly thereof is the same. Assuming 'that the tire is inflated tol a ressure of seventy pounds to the square incli, thenv the pressure within the cells will l be seventy pounds and there will be a seventy pound pressure withinl the tire casin exteriorly of the cells'. If the pressure within the tire casing exteriorly of the cells, is now suddenly reduced to sixty-five pounds,

by. opening the valve 15; it vwill be seen that held locked in the `closed Cposition, by thisv EXCGSS pressure.

With the cells inflated, as above indicated,

it is obvious that should the tire casing 13 be punctured or a number of the cells 16 punctured, such tire casing will be maintained distended by the remaining inflated cells. The cells are free from connection with 4the tire casing and with each other, and due to their shape, are adapted to automatically move or readjust themselves withinthe tire casing to lill up the space formed by the collapsing of one or more of the cells. This is an important feature of the invention.

As there are a large number ofthe cells within the tire casing, it is not probable that such cells would have to be replenished, during the life of the tire casing, such cells being inliated at any time, if necessary If it should be desired to remove the cells -fioiithe casing, one side of the casing or a portion thereof, may be removed from the rim sor 11, by the usual tiretool, and the `cells will at once expand, due' to the low pressure exteriorly thereof. When each cell expands l to a certain point, such for instance to a sizevof twice its normal diameter, its check'valve or valves are automatically opened and the airpressure exhaustedA therefrom. This means prevents the destruction of `the cells. l

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, is

to be takenas the preferred example of the 5 same, and the various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement f parts, may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

claim: v Y.

1. In a tire vof the character described, a

cells being arranged exterior y of each other Having thus described my invention, I

iio

and free from 'connection with the tire casing and from connection\with each other so that they are adapted to automatically read.

justl themselves within the tireA casing, and means whereby.said cells may be inflated after being placed within the tire casing.

2. In a tire'of the character described, a tire casing, a plurality o f relatively small cells arranged therein to fill the casing, a

plurality of the cells being held vwithinthe cross sectional area of thecasing, 'said cells being arranged wholly exteriorly of each other and being free from connection with g` each other and from the casing, each cell v bein provided with 'a plurality of inwardly opening check valves.

3. In a tire of the character described ,a.

. neaaeee tire casing, means to render the tire casing air tight, a plurality of separate cells arranged within the tire casing, said cells being arranged exteriorly of each other and :free from connection with each other, each cell having an inwardly opening valve, and means to supply air pressure in the tire casing exteriorly of the cells.

4. In a tire of the character described, a tire casing, a lurality of cells arranged therein and havlng inwardly opening check valves, means to supply air under pressure into the tire casing eXteriorly of the cells, and means to automatically open the check valves of the cells upon the expansion of the cells beyond a predetermined limit.

5. In a tire of the character described, as a subcombination, an elastic and expansible cell provided with an inwardly opening check valve, and means to open the check valve upon the expansion of the cell beyond v a predetermined limit.

6. In a tire of the character described, as a subcombination, a cell having an inwardly opening check valve, and automatic means to open the check valve.

7. In a tire of the character describeda a tire casing, separate relatively small cells arranged therein to lill the casing, a plurality of the cells being contained in the cross sectional area of the casing, each cell having its wall formed of elastic material and suffi` ciently thick to prevent collapsing of the cell in the ordinary handling of the same while placing the cell within the casing, each cell being disposed exteriorly of the other, means whereby compressed air Within the tire casing may pass into the cells and is normally prevented from passing Vout of the cells, and means to supply compressed air into the tire casing eXteriorly of the cells.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

AWILLIAM I-I. -RICHARDS. 

